Seasons Change
by XemnasForceXIII
Summary: AU. Terra has been receiving some hints from Aqua that their relationship should take another step forward, into marriage. Terra never expected the beginning of fall to be so stressful, and he'll have to make a decision by Christmas. Three-shot Terqua
1. October, a time for realization

_A/N: Why am I doing this? Why am I starting another fic when I just got done finishing another one while working on another story? I must be eager for punishment, or maybe it's because this fic will be less stressful… I hope. :)_

_Well, this'll be a short fic, a three-shot. And they'll be updated once a month until December. So yeah, one in October, November, and finally December. And each chapter will be set during that particular month. :P_

_Also I'll be trying out a new form of writing, if any of you know my usual writing style, you'll probably notice._

_Hope you enjoy! XD_

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><p><em><strong>Writer: Terra ForceXIII<strong>_

_~*~ _**S**e_a**s**_o_**n**s _C_**h**_a_**n**_g_e ~*~_

_Chapter one: October, a time of Realization_

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><p><em>What am I going to do?<em>

At this point, Terra let out a deep sigh expressing his stressful predicament. He sat comfortably in the wooden chair, his gaze directing towards the window wall beside him, the scent of hot coco filling the air as he inhaled the enjoyable smell.

Terra was at a coffee house, having some alone time before continuing his walk home. Like always, he sat in a seat near the window so he could gaze outside. He lightly tapped his warm cup, the dark liquid inside still producing some hot steam that provided a relaxing aroma while his mind wondered.

_To think of all the times we could discuss this, she chooses now._

The brunette lazily lifted his arm to check the time, his calm exterior thanking that she doesn't get off work until four so he doesn't have to get up yet. He lowered his arm while he lifted his cup, taking in a couple sips before looking out the window again.

He watched as the exposed trees at the parking lot rustled in the fall breeze, the orange and yellow leaves dancing off the pavement to a destination decided only by the wind. The streets were damp from the constant rain, the grey clouds covering the sky twenty-four-seven.

Yeah, it was fall alright.

"Would you like a refill, sir?" A woman's voice spoke, breaking through Terra's calm silence.

He looked over to see a familiar face, a woman with light brown hair with curls. She had a cheerful smile on her face as she waited an answer.

"Um… yeah, thanks Aerith," Terra spoke in a sigh. "How are the twins?"

"Fine, Zack's at home taking care of our two little babies." Aerith answered sweetly. "I just can't get enough of them, seeing Sora's pudgy little cheeks or Vanitas's blank stares."

Terra let out a little chuckle. "Sounds like you're very happy with the decisions in your life?"

The coffee waitress's smile only grew wider. "Well, not everything but I'm truly blessed for what I have."

"Good for you, Aerith," Terra dismissed sincerely.

The brunette woman giggled and poured some more coffee in his cup, giving him a slight bow before attending to other costumers. While Terra returned to his silent state to reflect on some things.

_What am I gonna do?_

After much sterility, he finally decided to head home. He got up from his chair and placed his usual tip for Aerith, leaving the coffee establishment to the cold streets of Twilight town. He adjusted his dark green scarf and shuffled his hands in his jacket pockets to keep from freezing.

During his walk, he strongly regretted not taking his car to work, because the cold weather sure was making him miss the coffee house right about now. But he can wait until tomorrow after work, after all, he's been taking visits there more often after the discussion he and Aqua had a couple weeks ago.

Aqua, Terra's childhood friend and four year long girlfriend. They've been living together after high school, both having regularly good jobs and a nice house. Everything was going well, until Aqua popped the unexpected question about their future together.

Not only that, but Terra has noticed Aqua glancing over at the baby departments when their shopping, which pretty much adds some more pressure in Terra's plate.

But what he figured was that all their friends were married or engaged, and some already had kids. Aqua must've felt left out, being the only couple in the group to not have gotten married yet.

Among their friends were Cloud and Tifa. They had twins, Roxas and Ventus, and their already having a third one on the way. News has spread around the group of friends that the third one is most likely a girl, which brought Tifa some needed joy.

By time Terra came back from his day dreaming, he'd made it back home. It was a nice house, perfect for raising children as Aqua pointed out, one of many _subtle_ hints she's been giving.

Terra let out a huff from that memory, unlocking the door as he entered his home.

The place was quiet, and slightly dark from the lack of sunlight outside. The tall brunette let out a deep sigh as he removed his scarf and jacket, placing them on the coat hanger near the door before heading towards the living room. He turned on some lights to bring life to this quiet home, plopping down on the couch and turning on the TV.

_What am I gonna say to her when she comes home?_

He didn't pay much attention to what was on the screen; his thoughts kept pulling him away from reality while nothing but ideas and proposals went through his brain. He looked over at the miniature table beside him and examined the photo on it.

It was a group photo of Terra and Aqua with all their high school friends, both standing pretty close to one another as 'friends', but everyone in the group could see through them. Zack was beside Terra, holding two fingers up behind Cloud's head while the silent blonde gave him an annoyed glance. Tifa was beside Cloud smiling, completely unaware of what was going on beside her but gave Cloud an ear full later for not smiling for the camera.

The picture also had one of Aqua's friends, Claire, a stubborn pink haired girl who surprisingly got married recently. She had her arms crossed while she gave the camera a blank expression like one of those military photos. She always gave Terra a hard time about caring for Aqua, telling him to get a better job or spend more time with her. .

Terra smirked, but that smile disappeared as quickly as it came when he heard the front door open. He got up from his seat and greeted the blue haired woman.

When Aqua looked at Terra, she immediately smiled and gave him a hug. "How was your day?"

"Good, yours?"

Aqua gave him a quick peck on the lips before answering. "Fine, nothing much but the usual routine."

Terra helped Aqua remove her jacket and followed her into the kitchen, Aqua opening the fridge door while Terra leaned against a wall.

"Have you talked with Tifa yet?" Terra asked, trying to start a conversation.

"Yeah, I just got news that their next one is a girl," Aqua answered cheerfully. "Tifa is excited because she's tired of having too many boys in the house."

Aqua pulled out some food ingredients and placed them on the table to making dinner, while Terra pulled out the tableware on the other side of the kitchen. Meanwhile, Aqua had a concerning expression on her face as she looked back at her boyfriend.

"Terra… I need to ask you about something…" She spoke in a wavering voice.

Terra instantly stopped what he was doing, knowing instinctively what she was going to ask. "Yeah?"

Aqua swallowed a lump in her throat and proceeded. "Have… you ever thought about us… I mean our future together?"

Terra's eyes descended downwards on the kitchen counter, his shoulders slumping over has he placed his hands on the counter. Evidently, he didn't really have an answer yet. He didn't want to say no, but he couldn't say yes either.

"I've… been thinking a lot about us…" He whispered. "But… I haven't come up with an answer yet…"

Aqua turned her gaze from her boyfriend and looked down at the food covered counter in front of her. Her blue orbs descending into grief while she bit her bottom lip to suppress a shutter. Terra knew what she might be feeling right now, heartbroken, worried, disappointed, or perhaps all three.

"Just… give me a little more time," Terra assured; but it didn't help, what was said is done.

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><p>After another quiet dinner, Terra and Aqua went to bed. But the troubled brunette couldn't sleep; he stared up at the ceiling while he heard light breaths coming from his sleeping partner beside him. They didn't say goodnight to each other when they went to bed, which brought guilt to his conscious.<p>

He turned his head, seeing his girlfriend facing away from him. At this point, Terra felt ashamed.

_How can I be so selfish?_

Their bedroom window had the blinds pulled away, so the midnight light beamed across their bed in a straight line. He noticed how Aqua's skin glistened from the bluish light, Terra licking his lips in anticipation. It's been awhile since they've both engaged in sexual intimacy with one another, which might be part of the problem.

_I don't want to lose you._

Terra's eyebrows curved upward into sadness, thinking of the possibility of Aqua leaving him. But in this night, Terra finally came to a decision. He doesn't want to lose her, and he'll do anything to make sure that doesn't happen. He should have said yes, to tell Aqua that he was ready to take the next step with her in their relationship. But as always, Terra likes to make things more difficult than they should be.

_Aqua… I promise, I'll set things right…_

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><p><em>Well there you go, the first of three. :P<em>

_The next chapter will be in November, were Terra and Aqua will be hanging out with their high school friends, and both groups will have a little talk about their relationship. Is everything going to turn out well, you'll see?_

_So Zack and Aerith are together, with their little Fair twins, Sora and Vanitas. Cloud and Tifa have their Strife twins, Roxas and Ven, can you guys who's gonna be the third? :)  
><em>

_Thanks for reading, hope you'll review too. :D_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy, original story and characters belong to their original owners...**  
><em>


	2. November, a time for Gratitude

_A/N: And here's part two of my three-shot. _

_I would like to start off by saying that I really appreciate all of the reviews; I never really expected to get so many for my first chapter. So thanks again. :)_

_On a side note, I really had a fun time reading the guesses on Tifa's third baby. Now, I was going to stick with someone who's the most reasonable to be her third, but I'm still debating on it. But, there's a new family tree link I'm trying, and you might find it here in this chapter. ;)_

_So without any further delays, hope you enjoy this chapter._

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><p><em><strong>Writer: Terra ForceXIII<strong>_

_~*~ _**S**e_a__**so**__n_**s **_C_**h**_an__**g**_e_ ~*~_

_Chapter two: November, a time for gratitude_

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><p><em>Hopefully things will clear up tonight. <em>

Terra exhaled loudly on the couch, taking the time to enjoy the calm before the storm. He just got done setting things up on the dining table before they arrived, the sparkly new plates positioned perfectly aligned with silverware placed beside the dishes next to the napkins.

This year, it was Terra and Aqua's turn to host their pre-Thanksgiving dinner with their high-school friends. The group of friends started this tradition after high-school, wanting to stay connected for the holidays by celebrating it early with each other before spending time with family. Last year it was the Strife's house, which the memorable moments of that day reemerged in Terra's thoughts.

He could hear the light sounds of plates chiming on contact and the running noise of the stove in the kitchen, Aqua was preparing the banquet of delicious foods for dinner, the scent of the freshly made stuffing making the brunette inhale enjoyably before dismissing the mouth watering aroma with a sigh.

_Man, how can I take this for granted?_

Terra was truly blessed, having a gorgeous girlfriend who happened to be a chef for a five star restaurant. That was one of the things that captivated his attention in high-school, how she was able to draw him in with excellent cooking and ultimately entwine them together. Sometimes he thinks that she planned it all and that she knew she could lure him in with food. If that was the case, Terra happily obliged and played right into her hands.

The ringing of the door bell interrupted Terra's daydreaming and he hastily went to the door. He was quickly greeted by two friendly faces, a tall spiky haired blonde with his trademark stoic expression, Cloud. Beside him stood his wife, Tifa, a beautiful red eyed woman with long black hair. Terra could notice the slight bulge in her stomach, her hands casually resting on top of her pregnant belly.

"Good to see you again, Terra!" Tifa greeted, giving him a friendly hug.

"Good to see you too," Terra spoke kindly, returning her hug before side hugging her husband. "Good to see you, Cloud."

"Yeah, same," The quite blonde responded, shaking Terra's hand. "Zack and Aerith here yet?"

Terra huffed. "Nope, Zack's always fashionably late."

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><p>The Strife's entered the house and promptly made themselves at home, the guys conversing on the couch while the girl's talked in the kitchen. Aqua was busy clearing the kitchen counter, a white apron around her front side while she cooked. Tifa sat comfortably in one of the dining chairs and watched as the blue maiden cooked.<p>

"So, how are the twins doing?" Aqua asked casually.

Tifa answered with an annoyed sigh. "Those two, I can't leave my eyes off them for one second. It's stressful!"

"Really?" Aqua asked.

"Yes, Ventus keeps crawling around near dangerous objects while Roxas constantly puts things in his mouth… including his brother," Tifa ranted, rubbing her belly with one hand while she fumed. "Seriously, those two are going to be the death of me some day!"

Aqua couldn't help but giggle, always finding Tifa's complaints humorous. She heard the alarming ring of the microwave and quickly pulled out the steamy mashed potatoes and placed them on the counter. She didn't waste a single second and immediately began working on another side dish.

"Do you need any help?" The raven haired woman inquired, her eyes darting back and forth with the blue haired maiden's frantic movements.

"No, its fine, I can handle this!" Aqua laughed.

But the lilac haired woman joyous expression quickly shifted into worry as she heard the door bell ring again, a squeak escaping her lips as she hastily ran out of the kitchen. Tifa was left alone, rolling her eyes before taking a sip from her drink.

"Your loss…" She muttered.

Meanwhile, Aqua speedily opened the front door to greet her incoming guests. Standing outside was another tall man with spiky hair, only his was black. Zack's smile brightened even more and immediately swooped Aqua into a tight hug.

Aqua couldn't help but squeak. "Huh… hey Zack."

The cheerful soldier released her and laughed, Aqua's eyes shifting to the brunette walking towards them from their car. Aerith smiled and greeted sweetly, holding two matching twins in her arms. The cobalt maiden couldn't help but giggle from the babies' attire, finding their overly plumped jackets adorable. They looked like two little puff balls.

"I'm sorry, Aqua. We couldn't find a babysitter in time so I hope you don't mind," Aerith apologized sincerely.

Aqua gave the curly haired mother a quick hug. "It's okay; I have enough food for two more."

Once the Fair family entered, Zack's blue eyes eventually drifted to his guy friends discussing on the couch. A childish smirked appeared on his lips and he immediately started walking towards the living room, only to be pulled back from his collar.

He turned towards the culprit and gulped when his eyes met with his wife's, who gave her juvenile husband a frown.

"Don't think you'll just have fun while I'm stuck holding the twins," She scolded, quickly handing him the raven haired baby of the two. "Here, you watch over Vanitas while I hold onto Sora."

Zack's face quickly crumbled into sorrow. "But- but I want to drink with the guys." He whined.

Zack flinched as Aerith pointed her scolding finger at him. "No, you're driving tonight so you have to be clean and sober."

The strong wielded brunette dismissed their argument and happily strolled into the kitchen with her matching son giggling in her arms. While Zack was left flabbergasted near the door, sighing in grief as his looked down at the stoic baby in his arms.

Vanitas stared at his father with a somewhat pouting look, his tiny arms and legs unable to move in the hefty amount of clothing.

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><p><em>Wonder how Aqua is doing?<em>

Terra's attention shifted from the conversation between Cloud and Zack, his ears focused on the women's voices giggling in the kitchen. But he quickly snapped back from his thoughts when his name was called.

He glanced over at his dark haired friend. "Sorry, can you repeat that again."

Zack leaned against the edge of the couch with one leg crossed over the other, Vanitas in between, a sort of barrier holding the growling baby inside safely. The timid boy was busy trying to find a way out while his dad took a sip from his drink, none alcoholic of course.

"I said 'Are you going to finally clear this thing you have with Aqua?'" Zack questioned again.

_Do we have to talk about that?_

Terra's casual expression altered into a stressful frown, wishing that he could have at least a little privacy between him and Aqua, but instead, any amount of news always reached everyone in the group.

"I'm working on it…" He said halfheartedly.

"Like how?" Cloud intruded.

"I'm… thinking of asking for overtime so I could afford a ring for Aqua," Terra revealed, biting his lip and squeezing his eyes shut to prepare for the onslaught of annoying rambles from Zack.

"Really?" The dark haired soldier laughed cheerfully. "So you're finally accepting the _ball and chain_?"

"Don't say it like that," Cloud retorted, gulping down his can of beer nonchalantly. "But to be honest, Terra, I think you're making the right decision."

Meanwhile, Vanitas furtively climbed over Zack's leg and tried to crawl to freedom. But Zack rolled his eyes and took another sip from his drink while scooping the boy one handedly back on his lap. The baby let out tiny wails in frustration, which Zack silently pulled out his keys and quickly jingled them in front the boy's face. The raven haired boy became entranced in the shiny object, reaching out to hold them.

Vanitas specifically started nibbling on Zack's work locker key, which was the biggest key of them all and had a roman numeral ten on it.

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><p>The girl's took their time in discussing about lively matters, mostly listening to Aerith go bubbly over discussing about her twins. She showed pictures of the twins in their first Halloween costumes, which Aqua found to be adorable. Sora was wearing a lion's suit with a tiny mane going around his neck, a wide smile spreading across his rosy cheeks as he faced the camera. While Vanitas wore a grey wolf suit with a fury tail protruding out from the bottom, an unsatisfied pout on his face.<p>

"So, have you girls heard anything about Stella lately?" Tifa asked.

Aqua and Aerith were actively working on the kitchen counter while Tifa held Sora in her arms. The tiny brunette was giggling tremendously while touching Tifa's belly. Aqua insisted that she could handle cooking herself but Aerith wouldn't take no for an answer. The blue haired cook was busy perfecting her cranberry jelly while Aerith prepared the green bean casserole.

"No, what?" Aqua asked.

"Well, we had a friendly talk at _her_ place when we met at the mall once," Tifa began jovially. "Did you know that she was married too?"

Aerith turned in astonishment. "Really, to who? Is it that rich _Caelum_ guy she dated in high-school?"

"Yep, and they already have a beautiful baby girl."

Aqua quickly let out a depressing whine, the _pleasant _news of her close friends moving on with their lives and having a family made a jealous feeling swell in her gut. Aerith heard her friend's distress and politely patted her shoulder for comfort.

Meanwhile, Tifa giggled from past memories. "And the little thing was _so _cute, her name was Naminé. The adorable child has already recognized who her parents were and would instantly start crying from the sight of strangers."

Before Aerith and Aqua could contribute in awe for their friend, the sudden humming of the door bell interrupted their talk.

"I'll get that," Aerith insisted.

The brunette woman exited the kitchen and proceeded to the door, while Aqua checked off everything in her mental list of Thanksgiving foods. She heard footsteps entering the kitchen and she turned to meet the new visitor, instantly smiling when she recognized her friend's pink hair.

"Claire, you came!" Aqua cheered, embracing her high-school friend in a hug.

The pink haired woman accepted her hug and huffed, still expression little emotion since their early years in education.

Tifa laughed smugly. "Good to see you, Claire Farro- oh, I mean, _Miss Claire Raines._"

Claire let out an unenthusiastic huff and placed a hand on her hip. "Yeah, my husband is busy with work so he couldn't come."

"That's okay, I'm just glad that you're here to celebrate with us," Aqua spoke joyfully.

"Thanks for having me," Claire smirked.

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><p>Everyone was finally brought together at the dining table, plates of mouth watering food and drinks covered the table to its fullest. A large golden brown cooked turkey perched in the middle, two small baskets filled with bread on either ends, reddish cranberry jelly, stuffing that was already occupied by Zack until Aerith smacked his hands away, and other side dishes that were visually stunning.<p>

Sora and Vanitas sat in booster seats beside their parents, the smiling brunette watching everyone with awe while his dark haired twin was stabbing his chair with Zack's keys. Claire sat beside Aqua with Terra on the other side, both glaring at each other with little amusement for either's company.

Aqua looked around her group of close friends, a wide smile growing on her lips. "Alright everyone, dig in!"

Immediately, everybody started reaching out and began filling their plates. Conversations filled the table, but only Terra and Aqua watched in silence. The cobalt maiden watched in happiness, until she felt a warm hand grasp her small petit once.

She looked to see her boyfriend's grin, a silent 'thank you' whispering from his lips. In return, the two shared small kiss while everyone else wasn't looking. But Terra couldn't help but notice something flickering outside the window, then seeing multiple white glimmering flakes floating outside the house.

It was beginning to snow.

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><p><em>And there you go; the chapter of November. :P<em>

_I had a lot of fun making the group of friends interact with each other, especially with Lightning. I added the Fair twins simply to add a little innocent cuteness to the mix. Also for some reason I like writing KH characters acting out their personalities in a childlike matter. :3_

_And you probably noticed that there wasn't much Terra and Aqua interaction in this chapter, well that was planned. I wanted them to converse with other characters for a change and I hope I did a good job. But don't worry, they'll have a lot of alone time in the final chapter, and I'll try my best to make it dramatic as possible._

_If I made any mistakes and such, don't hesitate to let me know. Just be nice about it. :D_

_Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Don't forget to leave a review before you leave! ;D_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy, original characters and stories belong to their original owners.**_


	3. December, a time for Joy

_A/N: and here's the final chapter, just in time for the holidays! I took my time to build the anticipation to Terra's proposal._

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><p><em><strong>Writer: Terra ForceXIII<strong>_

_~*~ _**S**_e_a_son_**s**** C**_h_a_ng_**e**_ ~*~_

_Chapter three: December, a time for Joy_

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><p><em>Wonder if she's still awake?<em>

Terra proceeded to unlock his front door quietly in case Aqua was already asleep, for today he had to work overtime again and ended up coming home around midnight. When he opened the door, he was only welcomed by the shadowy surroundings of his house and the peaceful silence.

He closed the door behind him and flicked the light switch on before the darkness took him, removing his work jacket with aching muscles and sullenly walked into the kitchen. He opened the fridge to see a box with a letter attached to it, a note from Aqua saying '_put it in the microwave for two minutes'_.

After doing what the note instructed, Terra took his plate of food and ate quietly in the kitchen. When he took his first bite, he couldn't help but chuckle from the amusing coincidence. How even after Aqua's food as been made hours ago and only heated up in the microwave, it still tasted wonderful as if it was just brought to him by the five star Chef herself.

Following after his silent midnight meal, he took slow steps in entering his bedroom. He immediately noticed the still figure of his girlfriend sleeping calmly on her side of the bed, her body turned away as petite breaths escaped her lungs. Terra scudded his way close to her and sneakily wrapped one arm over her, his forehead resting on the back of her bluish mane.

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><p>Today's the day, exactly two days till Christmas. The streets and yards were covered in compact snow, the chilling air nipping at people's noses, children laughing as they enjoyed the wonders of winter, and the grey vapor exhaling from Terra's lips welcomed him in its visible presence.<p>

Terra couldn't help but smile at the children playing while he was walking home from work, seeing one of the neighboring misfits throwing snowballs at one of his friends. The boy had fiery red hair that spiked around his head, a wide smirk on his face as he threw a chunk of snow at a blonde girl. The girl had slicked hair with two antenna-like tresses hovering down the back of her hair, a furious pout on her face as she chassed after the giggling boy.

Terra proceeded towards his snow covered house and fiddled with the keys in his packet, unlocking the door eventually to enter his quiet home. Aqua was still at work, and she just discovered today that she'd be working overtime today. But what she doesn't know is that Terra asked her boss to give her extra work time for the day so Terra could prepare their special night, if Aqua were to find out, she'd probably slug him.

_How should I start?_

Terra took the time to examine his living room, seeing all of the decorations Aqua put up for the holidays. Two stockings hanged over the fireplace, under the flat screen TV on the wall. In the right corner of the fireplace, stood the marvelous Christmas tree that Aqua carefully ornamented to perfection. If the fireplace was on, the ornaments would twinkle with different colors like twilight.

Christmas styled cloths covered the small tables on either side of the couch, with small statues of snowmen, reindeers, and other holiday icons were positioned on the tables. And finally, Terra's favorite visual treat, the many wrapped presents under the Christmas tree.

Terra pulled out a small black box from his pocket, flipping the top open to reveal the object of his hard work this passing month. In the box held a glimmering aquamarine colored gem, a large silver base with engraved patterns that swirled around the circular structure.

But after gazing at the ring, Terra finally realized what exactly he was doing. He was going to bind himself the rest of his life with someone, to pledge his affection to the one person he's been close to his whole life. And he wouldn't have it any other way.

He sat the ring down on the table and proceeded to his bedroom, trying to match his finest clothes in preparation for tonight. He'll get dressed, prepare dinner, have the fireplace going to set the mood, and finally propose to Aqua, a perfect setting for the occasion, in Terra's opinion.

He examined himself in the mirror while he buttoned up his black long sleeved dress shirt, leaving a few on the top unchecked which revealed some of his collarbones. He exited his room and took his time in preparing everything, first starting the fireplace while dimming the lights to give the orange haze more effect, then readying tonight's dinner.

Steak with backed potatoes, not exactly in Aqua's level of cooking but it's the best he could do, and he thinks Aqua would appreciate the effort either way.

After everything was in place, the brunette slumped on the couch for a breather. His dark blue eyes were in a trance, gazing deep into the flames of the fireplace while hearing the relaxing crackles of the warm flames scorching wood. He watched thoughtlessly as a piece of scorched wood broke in half, dozens of tiny sparks dancing upward from the smoldered ruble.

_Wonder what our children would look like?_

Terra shook those thoughts out of his head, slightly embarrassed to have already been thinking of those personal matters before even proposing. He got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen, examining the steak in the oven and the time. Aqua should be her in a half an hour.

But she didn't show, four minutes later and she still hasn't come home yet. Terra was getting concerned, constantly checking his watch every minute in a feeble act of doubt. It wasn't until he saw his phone flashing a red light on the table, confirming a missed text message. He picked up his phone and checked the message, his heart beginning to race from the little contact picture of Aqua on the side of the message.

_What?_

As it turns out, Aqua texted him an hour ago telling him that she'll be home later than usual. She must've thought that Terra had overtime again so she figured she could be out a little longer. But what worried Terra was the way she told him.

Aqua: _I'll be home later than usual; I got some things to think about… _

Terra quickly put on his jacket and exited his home, practically jumping into his car and speeding out of his driveway. He had to find her, before she thinks of things that'll hurt their relationship. So first he'll check her restaurant and ask her friends where she'd gone after work.

* * *

><p>No leads, everyone said that she'd just left without a word. But the employees also said that Aqua hasn't been acting the same lately, which haunted Terra's thoughts while he drove around town. Could she be made at him or depressed about the halt in their relationship? Terra didn't want to think about it, he just wanted her back.<p>

But it seems that even the heavens are trying to stop him, for a wave of thick snow started fall from the cloud covered sky. The snowflakes were large and durable, perfect for making layers of white blankets to cover the earth. But it didn't help when it comes to driving, especially when you're trying to search for someone on the streets as well.

After seeing no progress in his search, Terra parked his car in the side of the street next to the open sea. The ocean was a dark shade of blue, the grey clouds stretching out to make a thick wall that gave the sense of imprisonment to the city. The snow continued to fall and the ocean waves crashed against the barrier separating the beach from the city.

Terra stared out into the ocean for comfort but instead found something that caught his eye, something blue that stood near the railing on the street. There was only one person with hair as blue as the ocean.

"Aqua!" He gasped, quickly exiting his car.

The blue haired woman was leaning against the railing with her arms crossed over the cold metal bars. She gazed out into the sea with half lit eyes that showed inner sadness, her scarf brushing to the side from the chilling breeze. But she quickly game alive from the calling of her name.

"Aqua…" A familiar voice spoke behind her.

She turned, her gaze meeting her boyfriend's for the hundredth time. He was panting, his breaths apparent in the cold weather. It took some time before Aqua came to her senses again, her blank expression quickly shifting into surprise.

"T- Terra… what are you doing here?" She blurted.

"I could ask you the same thing!" He retorted, taking a few steps closer to her. "Why are you out here all by yourself? You'll catch a cold."

"I- I just needed time to think… about what to get you for Christmas…" She stuttered.

"You're lying."

Aqua flinched from that comment, finding Terra's serious tone to be discomforting. Before she could retort, he'd already grasped her and firmly and walked her over to his car. He opened the passenger door for her and she quietly entered, a tiresome sigh escaping Terra's breath while he walked around to the other side.

* * *

><p>When they returned home, Terra helped her remove her jacket while Aqua tried not to make eye contact. After getting comfortable, the two instinctively smelled something burning. While Aqua was puzzled by this smell, Terra immediately jumped and ran straight to the kitchen. His prediction was correct when he witnessed black smoke escaping the creeks of the oven, the brunette unable to hold back a swear while he quickly grabbed the oven mitt. When Aqua expected the kitchen, she squeaked in fright and came to Terra's aid.<p>

After exterminating the fire and smoke, all that was left of the steak was tiny charcoals of shriveled meat that could easily be mislead as black coal. The oven was broken, the once sparkling kitchen was now reduced to grey thanks to the spread of ash and smoke that covered it, Terra's cheeks had smudges of black from wiping his face after dealing with the fire.

All in all, this was a bad start.

The couple stood in the ash covered kitchen, panting and exhausted. But Aqua had enough energy to give Terra an earful, she gave the brunette a scolding frown and growled fiercely.

"How can you be so stupid?" She yelled, making him jump back on the counter. "You left the oven on!"

Terra let out a sarcastic huff. "Yeah, I realize that! Thanks!"

The upset bluenette took another glance at the oven, a whine escaping her lips. "Great, now I can't make anything for the Christmas party! This is all your fault!" She pointed fiercely.

Terra was taken back. "My fault? You're the one who decided to take a little stroll around town for no god damn reason!"

"I needed time to think!" She explained.

Terra walked closer to her, making Aqua take a step back. "About what?"

"None of your business!"

Terra's cheeks boiled red with rage, his teeth clenching as he struggled to hold back the deep groans. "It is my business when my girlfriend is sad! When she doesn't tell me what's wrong or what's hurting her!"

"You're hurting me!" She sobbed, stunning Terra when he finally noticed the tears in her eyes.

He watched as Aqua tried to hold her firm expression, making Terra's heart ache from her weak attempts to stop her quivering lips and stray sobs. She looked away and covered her face in her hands, not wanting him to see her in this vulnerable state.

_Damn it... I'm an idiot..._

Terra slowly came behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, resting his chin on the top of her head. He felt her shake, but didn't mind his comforting embrace. After much silence, when Aqua's sobs lightened a bit, Terra took his chance to try to turn things around.

"You know... I think I know how to cheer you up," He whispered calmly.

Aqua wiped her eyes again. "Terra, I'm crying and all you can think about is getting me in bed."

Terra choked a bit and tried not to laugh, his cheeks heating up from the embarrassing misunderstanding. He was glad that he was behind her so she couldn't see his smile.

"That's... _not _what I had in mind."

Taking Aqua's silence as a yes, he politely took her to the living room while still having his arms wrapped around her. Thankfully, their was a glass gate that kept the fireplace safely inside the chimney, so everything was still in place. The room was dark, with only the fireplace providing an orange haze that made the Christmas decorations twinkle brightly.

Aqua awed in astonishment, now trying to hold back tears of joy. Everything seemed perfect, the warmth of the fireplace, the beautiful glow of the tree, and the romantic atmosphere that resulted from Terra's preparations to make this night special.

He brought her to the carpet in the center of the living, the fireplace, the couch, and the Christmas tree surrounding them. While Aqua wasn't looking, Terra sneakily started the soft music to complete the mood. He took Aqua's waist without a word and began swaying back and fourth, surprising her from his blunt actions. She brought her arms around his neck and moved along with him, her head resting comfortably on his chest.

They danced without a word, swaying across the living room carpet as their large shadows from the fire moved along with them in sync. But after the music changed to another slow song, Terra halted their dance and took Aqua's petite hands firmly in his. He looked into her eyes, memorizing the beautiful mixture of ocean blue and a hint of orange.

"Aqua... I know that I've been very selfish and that I've been taken you for granted," He spoke, trying to keep his voice in a steady tone. But his racing heartbeat was making it difficult.

He took a long breath. "I don't want anyone else but you and only you. I- I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and make you the happiest woman alive every day."

When Terra took a knee, Aqua immediately gasped, taking her hands away to cover her mouth. More tears cascaded down her cheeks and Terra smiled weakly.

"Aqua..." Terra stuttered, pulling the black box out of his pocket.

He presented her the ring, opening the top to reveal the glimmering jewel that made Aqua's heart skip. Terra's mouth opened but his words were still in his lungs, sobs escaping Aqua's lips from the anticipation.

_This is it..._

Terra took another breath and spoke again. "Aqua... will you marry me?"

Without warning, Aqua tackled Terra to the ground and embraced him in a tight hug.

"Yes..." She whispered.

_The End_

* * *

><p><em>And their you go, I hope you'd enjoyed this little three-shot. :) Happy holidays! I know that I didn't reveal Tifa's third baby, so I'll just leave that to you guys! ;D<br>_

_Special thanks to AquaStormXIV, MonMonCandie, KC-Chan13, ,Sue-per Z, truthlieslovestars, R o x a s L u v s C o o k i e s, and resistance123 for the wonderful reviews! Thanks to all of you, and have a happy holiday season! _

Terra ForceXIII out! ;P

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy, original story and characters belong to their original owners. **_


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